SPRING LAKE TOWNSHIP — No one was injured in a small duplex fire in Spring Lake Township on Thursday, July 3.

According to Fire Chief Brian Sipe, the duplex – located on 18343 148th St. – caught fire in the bathroom region of the home at around 3:30 p.m.

The Spring Lake Township Fire Department responded to a small duplex fire that originated in the bathroom on Thursday, July 3, 2014.Tony Wittkowski | Reporter

"We got called just after 3:30 p.m., and the first unit got on scene within five minutes," Sipe said. "Upon arrival, they found smoke and eventually a fire in the bathroom area. We were actually able to knock that down fairly quickly with a fire extinguisher."

There were three people inside when the fire was first discovered, including a husband, wife and their son. None had any reported injuries.

Sipe said there was limited fire and smoke damage, which he estimated to somewhere between $2,000-3,000 worth in damages. Sipe confirmed the house was insured.

The cause of the fire hasn't officially been determined yet, but based on the marks and damage of the fire, Sipe attributed it to a light fixture.

"Right now it looks like it was some combustible materials – like towels and some paper products – were stacked up close to a light fixture in the bathroom," he said.

After the home was evacuated and the fire was effectively put out within 15 minutes, firefighters looked for a possible extension into the attic.

"There is a gable vent on the end of the house from where the attic is, so we opened the vent up to gain access to the attic," Sipe said. "We used thermal imaging, which picks up any heat and increased temperatures."

The family will not stay at the residence Thursday night, Sipe said, but there is some cleanup they will have to deal with. The occupant in the duplex next to them was not in the home at the time, but has been told of the fire.

Sipe mentioned the family did everything right in the situation they were put in, and thinks that helped diminish what could have happened.

"They smelled smoke in the area and investigated it; they didn't know exactly what was going on so they called 911," Sipe said. "They did the right thing."